Zola was dismissed for violent conduct during the second half of Tranmere's 2-1 first round defeat at Peterborough.

Manager Brian Little sees no prospect of mounting a successful appeal on behalf of the 19-year-old, who had just returned to front-line action following an ankle injury.

Zola is due to miss Tranmere's League One games at Blackpool next Saturday and Milton Keynes Dons at home on Saturday, November 27, together with the LDV Vans visit to Macclesfield on Tuesday, November 30.

The ban coincides with the long-term absence of Chris Dagnall, another teenage front man who will be out for at least another month while recovering from a fractured cheekbone.

Little made it clear on Saturday that he sees Tranmere's younger strikers as key players over the remainder of the season.

He left Haworth and Jones out of the travelling squad for Peterborough after both had played in the 4-0 defeat at Bristol City in midweek. Eugene Dadi also missed the trip to London Road because of illness.

Little said: "I feel the young strikers are very important to us this season. It's a disappointment that of the three strikers we deem as being our best three, two of them are out of the game.

"We don't feel at the moment as though Gary Jones and Simon Haworth are as sharp as they need to be. That showed in midweek at Bristol City."

Jones made his second senior start of the season at Bristol while Haworth, recovering from the double fracture of the leg he sustained at Brentford 10 months ago, saw his first senior action in a half-hour appearance as a substitute.

Little added: "The team (for Peterborough) was picked on performance-related grounds.

"That's what the business is about.

"We lost 4-0 last Tuesday and did not have a shot at goal. I don't like to openly criticise people. I picked what I thought was my best 16."

Little said Dadi was preferred choice as a substitute on Saturday and added: "When Eugene reported sick we decided to have one of the younger players on the bench."

Little will be hoping Dadi recovers his health in time for the visit to Blackpool.

Little said he thought the dismissal of Zola on Saturday was harsh, but added: "These days any use of the arm towards the head or upper chest of an opponent will be interpreted by the referee as violent conduct. The referee told me his interpretation on that and I don't think we have much chance of stopping a three-match ban."

Reflecting on the game, Little said: "We did not play great but we were doing enough and I thought we were going to get a draw out of the game.

"We were fortunate to be still in it at half-time but we got to grips with this in the second half and in the end I felt we were unlucky to lose."